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Artist News
Burt Bacharach dies
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 10 February 2023
The music community has been paying tribute to Burt Bacharach, who has died aged 94. A representative confirmed to media that the legendary music-maker died on Wednesday at home in LA of natural causes.
Born in Kansas City, Bacharach studied music at universities and schools in Montreal, New York and California. He then began his music career as a pianist and conductor for the big band singer Vic Damone, subsequently performing a similar role with a number of other artists. He also worked as an arranger and conductor for Marlene Dietrich in Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
However, it was his alliance with Hal David, who he met in 1957, that brought Bacharach to much wider attention. The duo quickly achieved success as a songwriting partnership with ‘The Story Of My Life’, recorded by Marty Robbins, and ‘Magic Moments’, released by Perry Como.
Although he initially also co-wrote with some other collaborators, most notably Bob Hilliard, it was Bacharach’s prolific partnership with David throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s that really stood out.
And while many artists recorded versions of the duo’s songs, they enjoyed a particularly fruitful alliance with Dionne Warwick, who had chart success with the likes of ‘Walk On By’, ‘Do You Know The Way To San Jose?’ and ‘I Say A Little Prayer’.
Bacharach’s output and hit rate did decline after his partnership with David came to an end in the early 1970s, although there were still plenty of interesting collaborations throughout the 1980s and 1990s and into the 2000s, including with Elvis Costello, as well as work on a number of film soundtracks. He also had cameo roles in some films, most notably the Austin Powers movies.
Warwick was among those leading the tributes as news of Bacharach’s death was confirmed. In a post on Twitter, she said his passing was “like losing a family member. These words I’ve been asked to write are being written with sadness over the loss of my dear friend and my musical partner”.
“On the lighter side”, she went on, “we laughed a lot and had our run ins, but always found a way to let each other know our family, like roots, were the most important part of our relationship. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, letting them know he is now peacefully resting and I too will miss him”.
